Double seal packer



` Oct. la, 1945.

c. H. BARNES DOUBLE SEAL PACKER -1'fi1edAug. 4, 194;.

INVENTOR l 'Cim/afs /zA/vfs ATT NEY y Frag Patented Oct. 16, 1945 Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware l Application August 4, 1941, Serial No. 405,275

(Cl. 16B-11) My invention relates to double seal packers for oil wellsl and among the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a packer whereby be eiected between a tubing string and suri rounding casing at two points so that iiuid may be permitted to enter the tubing string through' seals may perforations in the well casing between. these v two points;

Second, to provide a dual production packer of this type whereby` communicationv may be maintained through thecasing around the tubing from a point below the packer to a'point above without interfering with the inow of iiuids to the tubing between the packing` elements; and

Third, to provide a packer whichV isk particularly adapted for gas-lifting fluids from a lower zone by introduction into the tubing string of gas. from an upper zone while simultaneously'.

controlling the back pressure against the lower producing zone.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my double seal packer shown in position in a well casing, the casing and a portion of the packer being broken away and in section; f Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, Alongi-` tudinal sectional view of the upper portion of the double seal packer through 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a. similar fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of the double seal packer through 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through 4--4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 isa transverse sectional view through 5-5 of Figure 2.

My double seal packer includes an inner mandrel I connected at its lower end to a lower tubing string 2. Its upper end is connected through a slip joint 3 to the upper tubing string 4. The slip joint comprises an inner body 5 having a key 6 which slides in a keyway-'l provided on the inner wall of an outer'body member 8 which ts over the inner body and is screw-threaded to the upper tubing string 4. y

A packing ring 9 Is interposed between the two body members and a packing nut I is screwthreaded into the lower end of the outer body member for engagement with the packing ring.

. The inner body and packing nut I0 are provided with coacting shoulders II and I2, respectively, which coact to limit outward or downward movement of the innerbody 8 when thel tioned intermediate ilow passage.

Y slips may be latched in a lower-or inoperative v packer is suspended from the tubing. The slip joint is thus capable of limited longitudinal movement, as well as transmitting torque from the upper tubing string through the outer body to 'the .inner body and to the inner mandrel I.

The inner mandrel I has welded thereto an upper spacer I3 and a lower spacer Ill through which are provided by-pass slots I5. Asurround- V ving shell I6 is welded to the two spacers and extends therebetween to form with the inner concentric mandrel I an annular intermediate flow passage. Lateral gas intake ports I1 in the form of 4shorttubes or ducts are secured in the inner mandrel and extend laterally to the exterior of the shell In'. 'Ihese enable iluid to A.enter the tubing from the space surrounding the `outside of the shell without entering the annular space between the mandrel and shell.4

A lower packer collar I8 is screw-,threaded to the lower spacer I4. The lower packer collar supports a lower packer mandrel I9 in the .form of a tube fitting over and spaced from the inner mandrel I to form an annular passage therewith which is a continuation of the beforemen- The lower packer mandrel I9 receives a packing sleeve 20 or any other suitable expansible packing element. Below the packing sleeve 20 a wedge cone 2| is slidably mounted on the lower packer mandrel. The wedge cone 2l coacts with wedging slips 22 which are connected by reins .23 toa cage 24 comprising upper and lower collars 25 and 26 connected by cage springs 21. The cage also includes a latch means 28 in theform of a hook carried by one of the collars and a pin project. ing Afrom the lower packer mandrel, so that the position with respect to the wedge cone while the packer is being run into a well.

The upper spacer I3 has vsecured thereto an upwardly extending upper packer collar 29, the upper end of which receives a .ring nut 30. Slidable within the upper packer collar and ring nut is an upper packer mandrel 3l having a flange 32 which coacts with the ring nut to limit upward movement o'i the upper packer mandrel. While not essential to `its operatiomthe upper packer mandrel is preferably initially held in an upper or extended position by means of a shear pin 33 which extends through the upper packer collar 29 into the ange 32. The upper packer mandrel receives an upper packer sleeve 34 and screw-threads into a top collar 35 which forms an abutment for the upper end of the packing sleeve, the ring ,nut iormingthe lower abut ment k therefor. 'I'he top collar 35 is provided with a castellated upper end which forms by-pass ports 35 communica-ting with annular space between the sleeve 3| and mandrel The upper packer collar 29, upper packer mandrel 3l and top collar 35 are spaced from the inner mandrel as shown to formA therewith an annular passage which communicates with and forms an upper extension of the beforementioned annular flow passage between the shell IEandA the inner mandrel I.

Operation of my double seal packer is .as folf lows: The packer is assembled as shown' in Figure 1 and run into the well bore, the cage being locked to hold the slips 22 from coaction with the cone 2| and the shear pin or ,pins 33 holding the upper packer mandrel in anV extended position so that neither the upper nor lower:

packing elements are under compression When f the desired location is reached as, for example,

when the packing elements are located, respectively, above and below, a gun perforated section of casing (designated A in Figure 1), the slips are released into engagement with the wedge cone by right-hand rotation of the tubing to lock .the 'cone 2| lagainst downwardmovement relative to the casing; thereupon Weight is applied from the tubing'string 4 through theouter slip joint body 3, top collar 35, sleeve 3|,lshear pin 33,` upper packer collar 29, shell I6, lower Y'packer collar I8, lower packing sleeve ,20, and, thence, to the l wedge cone I8 whichv causes the lower .packing sleeve to be compressed longitudinally 'and thereby to expand radially. into Vsealing engagement betweenthe packer mandrel I9 and the sur- `rounding casing. Further weight shears the pin Q'rpins 33, allowing the upper packer mandrel y l3| and top collar 35 to move downwardly relative tothe upper packer collar 29 and thereby, inturn, to expand the lupper packer sleeve` into sealing ,engagement between the packer .mandrel 3| and the surrounding casing. The weight of the lower tubing string 2 and mandrel I tends to maintain vthe lowermostl packing element in a pack-oil po;

sition,.while the weight of the upperitubing string y4, acting through the outer body 8 and upper packer collar 29, tends to maintain thel packing sleeve in a pack-off position.

upper When the two packers have thus: been seated,

. ,fluid such as gas which may enter through the `perforations A into the annular space Vbetween ,-::-thecasing,designated Bv, and the shell I6, will be ib'onlinedby the packers and forced to pass .ntoethe intake ports and through the ducts i7 ci theigfinterior of the mandrel which communiacates.' With-the tubing strings12 and 4. Gas entering -these ports maythus be utilized to gas- 'lift `liquid flowing upward fromthe lower tub- 7 ting 2;A to -the upper tubing 4 from a lower production zone into which the lower tubing string extends. At the same time, pressure on the lower formationoutside of the tubing 2 may be leither increased or decreased and gas injected or withdrawn 'by way ofthe by-pass communication 1 throughthe packer device from the lower end .of the dual seal packer through vthe lower man= drel I9, lower spacer I4, shell I E, upper spacer |3, upper packer Vcollar 29, uppen-paker mandrel 3|, top collar 35 and by-pass ports 36. t

While the shear pin 33 ispreferably employed, it should be knoted that the double seal packer is fully operative if this pin is omitted.` Where the shear pin 33 is omitted, the force to compress the lower packing sleeve is transmitted through theupper packing sleeve.'I'he upperand lower eral parts.

lstructural assemblieswhich `function as unitary parts of the device, in most cases, comprise sev- Forexample, the shell or shell structure may comprise, not only the shell IB per se,

vbut also the mandrel I9, the collar I8, spacers |4 and I3, packer collar 29, and ring nut 30, all coupled coaxially together.

ascomprising a. part ofV the shell or shell structure'from Which-it slidably extends. The'. upper packing structure may constitute a sub-assembly portion of the shell structure, including not only the upper packing sleeve 34b'ut `also those elements which'directly aiect its operation, namely, tneiring nutSU, 'mandrel 3|, and-.top collar35.

, Similarly, the-lower packing structure may form a subsassembly portion of theshell structure. 1ncluding-the packing sleeve 20, collar VI8, cone' 2|,

slips 22., and slip cage 24.

The' mandrel.' or mandrelistructure mayv include the tubular portion `and attached `inner body 5; Also, the,I mandrel I .and sleeve-or shell structure, as defined hereinbefore, may -beconsideredand described as rconstituting lajunitary tubular assembly-which taken as a whole, -denes an' inner, longitudinal iiow passage; and an intermediate longitudinal ow passageor by-pass,` and, together withthefwell casing withinjwhich the device is intended to operate, an outer owpassage; the inner passage being within the bore of the mandrel, the intermediate' passage or bypass being in the annular space between the mandrel and shell, and the' outer passage being in the annular space between the shell and the surrounding casing;`

-Various changes and `alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of theappended claims, in which it ismy intention tir-claim all novelty inherent in the invention as` broadly as y the prior art permits.

I claim: l; In a well device adapted to be suspended from a tubing string and set within a wellcasing: an inner tubular mandrel forming an inner longitudinal ilow passage from -end to end through said device; `an external shell .structure surrounding a portion of the tubular mandrel and rigidly attached in spaced relation thereto to form a separate, intermediate, longitudinal flow passage therethrough; a lateral duct extending between and interconnecting the vinterior of said inner mandrel and the exterior of said shell struc- 1 ture; a `slip joint for coupling said mandrel to said tubing string with freedom for limited Vlongitudinal slidingl motion of said tubing relative to said mandrel; a pair ofl packing sleeves, positioned onsaid shell structure adjacent theopposite extremities Athereof and `in longitudinally spaced relation on either side of said lateral duct;

gripping means associated with said shell struc- Ature and adapted to effect gripping engagement with a surrounding casing; and meansactuated byl relative longitudinal sliding motion between The packing mani drel 3l. and-top collar 35 also may be considered said tubing and said gripping means to axially compress said packing sleeves and thereby radially expand them into sealing engagement be,

tween said sleeve structure and a surrounding casing.

2, In a well device adapted to be suspended from a tubing string and set within a well casing: an inner tubular mandrel forming an inner longitudinal ow passage from end to end through said device; an external shell structure surrounding a portion of said tubular mandrel and rigidly attached in spaced relation thereto to form a separate, intermediate, longitudinal flow passage therethrough; a lateral duct extending between and interconnecting the interior of said inner mandrel and the exterior of said shell structure; gripping means longitudinally slidable on' said shell structure and adapted to eiect gripping engagement with aisurrounding casing; a pair of packing sleeves positioned on said shell structure adjacent opposite extremities thereof and longitudinally spaced on either side of said ylateral duct, said packing sleeves being adapted, under axial compression, to radially expand into sealing engagement between said shell structure and a surrounding casing; and means including a slip joint coupling for said tubing string and said tubular mandrel for axially compressing both of said packing sleeves upon movement of said tubing string in a direction toward said gripping means. l

3. In a well device adapted to be suspended from a tubing string and set within a well: an inner tubular mandrel forming an inner longitudinal flow passage from end to end through said device; an external shell structure surrounding a portion of said tubular mandrel and rigidly attached in. spaced relation thereto to form a separate, intermediate, longitudinal flow passage therethrough; a lateral duct extending between and interconnecting the interior of said inner mandrel and the exterior of said shell structure; a wedge cone longitudinally slidable on said shell structure; slips adapted to be forced into gripping engagement between said wedge cone and a surrounding casing; means normally retaining retaining said slips in retracted position relative to said wedge cone and operative to release said slips Vinto Awedging engagement between said wedge cone and a surrounding casing; a pair of packing sleeves positioned on said shell structure adjacent opposite extremities thereof and longitudinally spaced on either side of said lateral duct, packing sleeves being adapted, under axial compression, to radially expand into sealing engagement between said shell structure and a surrounding casing; and means includingaslip joint coupling for said tubing string and said tubular mandrel for`axally compressing both of said packing sleeves upon movement of said tubing string in a direction toward said wedge cone.

4. In a well device adapted to be suspended from a tubing string and set within a well casing: a tubing string; an inner tubular mandrel forming an inner longitudinal flow passage from end to end through said device; an external shell structure surrounding a portion of said tubular mandrel and rigidly attached in spaced relation thereto to form a separate, intermediate, longitudinal flow passage therethrough between said mandrel and said shell structure and, when set in a surrounding casing, an outer flow passage between said shell structure and said casing; a lateral duct extending between and interconnecting the inner iiow passage in the interior of said inner mandrel and the outer flow passage on the exterior of said shell structure; y a slip joint for coupling said mandrel to said tubing string with freedom for limited longitudinal sliding motion of said tubing relative to said mandrel, said slip joint including a tubular member adapted to be secured to said tubing string; a collar surrounding said tubular mandrel and adapted to be engaged by said tubular member'upon downward movement thereof; a wedge cone longitudinally slidable on said shell structure adjacent the end thereof opposite to said slip joint; slips adapted to be forced into grippingengagement between said wedge cone and a surrounding casing; latch means normally retaining said slip inretracted position relative to said wedge cone .and operative to release said slip into wedglng'engagement'between said wedge cone and a surrounding casing; a pair of packing sleeves positioned on said shell structure and longitudinally spaced on'opposite sides of said lateral duct, said packing sleeves being adapted, under axial compression,

vto radially expand into sealing engagement between said shell str'ucture and a surrounding casing, one of said packing sleeves being disposed longitudinally between said wedge cone and a portion of said shell structure, and the other of said packing sleeves being disposed longitudinally between said collar and a portion of said shell structure, all in such manner. that both said packing sleeves are axially compressed when said tubing string moves yin the direction toward said.'

wedge cone.

5. In a well device apparatus according to claim 3 and means for coupling a second length of tubing to the end of said mandrel opposite to the said slip joint. CHARLES H. BARNES. 

